Note: This story was last updated at 4:10 p.m. March 13.
MURFREESBORO—Riverdale dominated, and Oak Ridge finished as state runner-up in the Class AAA girls basketball championship in Murfreesboro on Saturday.
The Lady Warriors (32-4) led from start to finish in their 68-36 win. They’ve now won five state titles since 2007, with the last one in 2013.
The Lady Wildcats (30-5) have won three state championships, with the last one in 1997.
The Oak Ridge and Riverdale teams both featured young players this year, and both were led Saturday by first-year coaches. Players from both teams said no one expected them to end up in the final Class AAA game of the 2016 BlueCross Basketball Championships. The two teams have already set their sights on next season.
Riverdale was led Saturday by junior Anastasia Hayes, a Miss Basketball finalist, with a game-high 27 points, three rebounds, and four steals. Sophomore Alexis Whittington scored 14, pulled down five rebounds, and had five assists. Her twin sister Amanda Whittington had six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. [Read more…]